Last week, as I struggled to decide what book in the Bible to study next, I decided to start reading a book that I could relate to. I wanted to read a part of the Bible that dealt with struggles and trials. The Lord promptly led me to the book of Job. The book of Job discusses Job's life, but more specifically discusses the trials that Job had to go through.
Chapter 1 in the book of Job is just an introduction to what Job went through. In the first chapter, Job lost all of his children, children's servants, and children's animals, all because Satan hopes to get someone to curse the Lord. The interesting fact about this whole situation is that the Lord suggests that Job be apart of Satan's trial. The Lord allows Satan to test Job, however God forbids Satan to "lay a hand on Job himself" (Job 1:12b HCSB).
Satan puts Job through so many tests and trials. Satan took away Job's children, Job's possessions and even Job's health. As Job was put though this suffering, his own wife had encouraged Job to "Curse God and die" (Job 2:9b HSCB).
Throughout all of the trials Job faced, he had always been faithful. Job's friends and his wife thought he was crazy for continuing to suffer, when he could just die. Job's friends were so confused as to why "Job's God" would put Job through all of this suffering. However, Job never blamed God for what he was going through. In chapter 1 of Job, Job lost all of his children. At the end of this chapter, Job tore off his robe saying: "Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will leave this life. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Praise the name of Yahweh" (Job 1:21 HSCB). Even in pain and trials, Job decided to not blame God for what was going on, and in fact Job decided to praise God, despite what happened.
As someone who has gone through many trials in the past year, I can sadly say that praising God in the midst of a trial was not something I did regularly. As Christians, praising God in the midst of suffering is not the first thing that comes to our minds. As a teenage girl, the first thing that comes to my mind in the midst of a trial is to talk to a friend or a mentor. Sadly, the reality is that praising the Lord is the last thing we do while we are suffering. However, a change needs to be made.
I am praying that in the midst of life, struggles, trials and suffering that the first thing I do is turn to God to thank him and praise him for all that he has/is doing in my life. I am praying that even when life doesn't go my way, that I will always be praising His name!
